Nota Bene: Congratulations to Bosch Fawstin, who submitted the winning entry.  I think it personifies the spirit of defiance that characterizes those who stood with Geert Wilders in Texas yesterday in defense of freedom of thought and expression. You can view an enlarged version of the same drawing here. You can read the speech delivered by Wilders in its entirety here. 

I can’t say that I ever expected a close friend to be the target-one of many, as it appears-of an assassination plot. Then again, I never expected to live in a country that had porous borders, and which allowed scores of criminals and terrorists to traverse them at will AFTER losing nearly 3,000 of its citizens in an unprecedented terrorist assault. Thankfully, the only deaths to come about as a result of the latest expression of peace were those of the jihadists themselves. We can only hope that the courageous police officer injured in the line of duty will completely and fully recover from his wounds in the days ahead. 

Since it’s 2 am EST I’ll spare you my analysis of the predictably craven, pandering, pathetic mass of cells nominally in charge of Garland, Texas-a huge diversity enthusiast, incidentally-and commentary upon the steel-framed memory hole on 8th Avenue, and simply urge you to visit Pamela Geller’s website for yourself. You’ll not only get the latest, firsthand information about the thwarted massacre in Texas, but also a morally and historically correct diagnosis of the plague we’re facing.

It is there, where they burn books, that they eventually burn people. 

-Heinrich Heine 

Can someone remind me again why it’s wrong to compare them to Nazis?

A message from Pamela Geller.

You must stand up. Now. No one is going to do this for you. Only YOU can save you.

I strongly urge every Atlas reader, twiiter and Facebook friend that can be in Tennessee to join us in a major demonstration for free speech on June 4th at 5:30pm  Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, 147 Hospitality Blvd, in Manchester, Tennessee to be there.  Change your plans, get off from work – g. Tweet it, Facebook share, get the word out.

AFDI, SIOA, and other major organizations will be rallying for free speech. On June 4th, an event titled “Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society” will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, 147 Hospitality Blvd, in Manchester, Tennessee. Speakers for the event are Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the FBI special agent that runs the Knoxville office.

 Plan on attending the meeting in Manchester.Don’t think that they is just going away. They have declared war on very freedoms. While we still have freedom of speech – we must use it. Bring FREE SPEECH signs. Peaceful resistance. 

Those of you in the Volunteer State can RSVP here.

 Most of you are probably aware of Gregory Buckley Sr.’s story, which reveals the negligence, ill intent, ideological blindness and contempt for any sort of oversight that has marked this administration’s foreign policy in countries like Afghanistan. It cost Mr. Buckley the life of his son, Gregory Buckley Jr., as well as the lives of two of his fellow Marines, who were murdered by a jihadist that was immediately released by his Afghan superior. The speech by Mr. Buckley is worth listening to in its entirety, because it illustrates the consequences of submitting to an unaccountable presidency and its ideologically blinkered policy prescriptions. 

The Silent Majority No More has more videos from the event at Chabad House, the focal point of which was a speech by Pamela Geller that had initially been squelched by a group of Islamists and their leftist apologists, including Habeeb Ahmed of the Nassau County Commission on Human Rights. They’re also worth viewing, if only to see what freedom looks like, and why it is so vital that we defend it at every turn. It can happen here. 

One of the chief distinctions between the anti-Israel rally and the slightly smaller, yet equally exuberant, pro-Israel counter-demonstration held in Times Square this weekend was the sentiments expressed by the participants. While the former vocalized their antipathy towards Israel and the United States and demanded ordinary Israelis be punished-through measures such as the BDS movement-and spent most of their time anathematizing Jews in the most historically inaccurate way possible, the latter concentrated mostly upon messages of solidarity with Israel.

There were, of course, expressions of hostility towards the jihadists who have instigated the current wave of bloodshed, and who continued to barrage terrified Israeli civilians with Iranian-designed missiles even as this was being written.

However, I saw no generalized contempt for the Palestinian people, or even the bellicose Islamist leaders of neighboring countries who exhorted those currently entrusted with power in the Gaza Strip to stand their ground.

The overwhelming sentiment was one of resilience, not hatred, and was expressed through chants like “Am Yisrael Chai,” the people of Israel live, and the singing of the Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel.

As well as an attempt to convey, in concrete terms, the intensity of the terror ordinary civilians, especially those living in southern Israel, experience on a daily basis.

And to connect the coercive violence aimed at Israel to the jihadist attacks carried out against similar Western nations throughout the globe.

Specifically, the United States, which has endured jihadist attacks for the past several decades, including lethal assaults initiated by the men currently in charge of the Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip.

Needless to say, there are legitimate critiques to be made of the methods Israel employed in responding to the rocket war waged by Hamas, as well as unaffiliated jihadist and Palestinian gangs. If nothing else, the fact that Hamas has been able to enchance its growing diplomatic standing in the Middle East-while preserving its vast, Iranian-supplied weapons arsenal-and was able to deter Israel from a ground invasion bodes ill for the security of Israeli citizens, to say nothing of those Palestinians who will be the unfortunate human shields in future military engagements.

Whether or not the result of this conflict constitutes a victory for Hamas, it is clear to all but the most deluded observers that it is a defeat for the adversaries of Hamas. Rather than Thing, a.k.a. Ben Grimm, Israel reacted to this assault in the dithering, indecisive manner of Shakespeare’s tragic hero, Hamlet. And as we all know, this strategy, if it can be called that, only leads to more bloodshed in the future.

Perhaps most disconcertingly, the inhumanity and barbarity of Islamic law was papered over by the persistently hostile mass media which reported on the Gaza conflict.

As these images from the public execution and dismemberment of suspected “collaborators,” which has drawn remarkably little attention from the fifth estate-with some notable exceptions-demonstrate.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the collective expression of support for Israel we’ve witnessed in New York City, whether from ordinary citizens or self-interested pols, is going to have much of an impact on public discourse. The sad truth is that the dominant media narrative, i.e. Palestinians as perpetual victim and Israel as eternal aggressor, is going to remain in place for the foreseeable future, and not even the most well crafted, factually accurate  publicity campaign is going to alter the status quo.

In fact, it could be argued that the appeal of the formulaic, anti-Israel meta narrative will only grow as those sympathetic to the Islamist cause gain an even surer foothold in the corporate world, within Congress and among influential media organs. The only way to counter this cresting tide is, to paraphrase the great Franz Kafka, take an axe to the frozen sea inside of us. Or in this case, the ice inside of those who willfully ignore the truth before them.

The truth, like life, is not pretty, but it must be told. Israel, like most of the West,  faces an existential struggle. Its preservation does not hinge upon a slick media relations campaign, or a superficially persuasive viral video, but upon disabusing spectators of the fallacies that underlie much of received wisdom about this conflict. And the only way to accomplish that goal is by telling the truth about jihadist dogma and how it informs the actions of  organizations like Hamas.

Truth wins out.

So much for the freelance Mukhabarat’s efforts at squelching Pamela Geller’s voice.  For more on the arrest of a former Guardian journalist-shocking, I know-who’s as conversant with the 1st Amendment as Barack Obama is with comparative religion and American history, check out updated coverage from Jihad Watch, which includes the New York Post article and the video detailing my friend’s gutsy tutorial in expressive advocacy and constitutionally protected speech.

Is this what progressive Islam looks like? Count me out.

Hat Tip: Vigilant Squirrel Brigade.

Note:  Video footage, including a rousing speech made by the legendary Pamela Geller, as well as a moving speech by 9/11 mother Nelly Braginskaya, at Atlas Shrugs. Also, additional photos and footage provided by the indefatigable photo-blogger Urban Infidel. 

If  there was a single, overarching theme to the first Stop the Islamization of Nations Congress, it was just that. Freedom. The freedom exercised by Rifqa Bary-the courageous young woman who converted to Christianity despite the wishes of her Muslim parents, and whose portrait you see emblazoned upon the poster above-as well as the freedom to engage in critical inquiry regarding any and all subjects-including Islam-are one and the same. For fundamentally, they both come down to the exercise of free will. Individual choice is something that is not highly valued in authentic Islamic culture, as the plight of the recently freed Iranian Christian pastor  Yousef Nardakani, and the fate which befell Arab journalists who republished the famous Jyllands Posten Mohammed cartoons, demonstrate.

I traveled to the UN Millennium Plaza Hotel on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 massacres in order to listen to a roster of speakers who would illuminate just how precarious the freedom we enjoy is, why it is imperiled-not only in the United States, but across the globe-by whom, and how we can resist the encroachment of those who would circumscribe, and ultimately, eliminate it.

Notwithstanding the passel of amiably grouped American and United Nations flags in that photo, the  values of the United States and those undergirding the United Nations could not be further removed from one another. Anyone who has read the aptly titled The UN Gang by Pedro Sanjuan, a career diplomat and Foreign Service officer-a book that , ironically enough, was stolen while I attended the conference-would recognize just how different our nation is from the anti-American swamp in Turtle Bay. Unfortunately, those in power today-particularly within this administration-seemingly want to emulate the rogue’s gallery of Islamic theocracies, tinhorn military dictatorships, and third world socialist backwaters that currently comprise its membership. At least, with respect to the citizen’s relationship to the state.

Although the words from the Old Testament prophet are laudable-if a bit confusing when juxtaposed against the United Nations general opinion of Jews-they in stark contrast to most of the actions undertaken by the UN, which range from supplication before the preeminent state sponsor of terror, to deploying “peacekeepers” whose chief recreational activity consists of terrorizing the people they were putatively sent to protect. However, the most insidious threat posed by the United Nations is its attempt to nullify our natural rights in order to preserve the edifice of Islam as a great religion.

In decades past, the free world-led by the United States-would have led the fight against criminalizing dissent. However, the position espoused by the American government has been changed dramatically. The instinctive reflex on the part of government officials is exemplified by the craven tweet-since deleted-by the United States embassy in Cairo issued shortly before it was assaulted by a salafi mob. A mob which included, it should be noted, both the younger brother of Al Qaeda’s current emir and members of the terrorist organization whose leader is responsible for the first World Trade Center bombing. Of course, now that the Arab Spring is in full bloom, we should keep in mind that yesterday’s terrorist might very well be today’s democrat.

The most significant aspect of this transformation is the State Department’s active encouragement of a UN resolution, crafted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which would criminalize any substantive criticism of Islam. As Robert Spencer pointed out during the conference, this treaty would have the force of law, and there’s no reason to believe that the United States Supreme Court-McConnell vs. FEC made its cavalier attitude towards expressive speech plain-to honor our First Amendment rights any more than it has recognized those enshrined within the Second Amendment, or, I would add, the Fifth.

The institutionalization of this dhimmification of our legal system is occurring in our own backyard. State Senator David Storobin, who-regardless of any other criticism that can be leveled against him-should be congratulated for having the temerity to attend this conference, explained why this is such a pernicious development. A man whose family escaped from the Soviet Union-the largest totalitarian empire in world history-and whose relatives were slaughtered by Islamic separatists-Senator Storobin is perhaps uniquely qualified to speak to this issue. He denounced hate speech laws, which he correctly described as penalizing thought rather than criminal action, and averred that he believed in the principles of the Founders. “The founding fathers of America, not the Soviet Union. Madison, not Lenin.”

It’s a quote worth keeping in mind when the vanguards of the left insist upon adopting a policy of prior restraint against the only religion of global breadth they seemingly venerate.  What makes matters even more grave is the fact that those whose sensitivities will be preserved at the expense of our liberty, unlike the victims of other thought crimes-or perceived thought crimes-the left has sought to give protected status, these individuals have the propensity to vent their displeasure in ways much more colorful than public protests or civil disobedience. This fact was brought home to the audience during the speech of the man you see below, David Yerushalmi, founder of the American Freedom Law Center and tireless advocate for American civil liberties.

Mr. Yarushalmi’s speech focused on the nexus between the application of sharia law within Western societies and the inexorable diminishment of civil rights and liberties of citizens living in those societies. Contrary to the anodyne picture of sharia which has been painted by the press, academe, and assorted lapdogs of CAIR touted by our intellectual betters, the facets of Islamic law-provided we ever agree on a school of Islam to impose-which many have no trouble with in principle are diametrically opposed to the values we cherish as American citizens. A perfect illustration of this conflict in practice occurred earlier this year during an Arab American festival held in the city of Dearborn, Michigan.

Exercising their Constitutional right to peaceably assemble and voice their opinions, several Christian missionaries decided to demonstrate their profession of faith in Christ-and disbelief in the assertions found within the pages of the Koran-during this event. Doubting the claims of Mohammed-or his adherents-is a criminal offense-in Islam, not in the United States-which led to these men to being stoned by a frenzied mob of “Arab Americans.” Despite the fact that it was the peaceful protesters who were attacked-to the point of bloodshed-they were the ones told to vacate the premises, lest they be arrested.

The Orwellian revision of the facts by local and national media outlets-where the victims and aggressors were inverted-was not surprising. However, the willingness of a large municipal police department to enforce the legal code that contradicts the 1st Amendment is what led Mr. Yarushalmi to pursue a lawsuit against the officials responsible for this outrage.

While this incident might be interpreted as speaking to the depressing lack of respect for constitutional rights by those entrusted with the use of deadly force by the state, the tenacity with which this lawyer is seeking redress is what stands out in my mind. This determination to protect the sacred right of free speech can also be seen in the legal battle between the American Freedom Defense Initiative/Stop the Islamization of America and the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority over the content of the subway ad you see presented in the powerpoint presentation below.

Questioning the rationale behind the construction of a mosque within sight of Ground Zero, the ad was initially deemed unacceptable by MTA executives before a lawsuit reminded them that freedom of speech trumps the tender sensibilities of a teflon-coated religion. The same MTA was forced to back down again after a federal judge chastised it for refusing to consent to the display of another AFDI/SIOA ad which supported the state of Israel.

However, the most intriguing recent legal victory of Mr. Yarushalmi’s was the decision by the corresponding public transportation governing authority in the city of Detroit.

The poster you see above is nearly identical in content to billboards commissioned by atheist activists exhorting non-Muslim believers to abjure their faith. The only difference being that a the consequence for individuals who answer the question posed here in the affirmative is death. As the tragic fates of Jessica Mokdad…

…and Aqsa Parvez make clear.

It is precisely the willingness among adherents to the Koran to inflict often lethal violence upon its critics which leads governments to attempt to circumscribe the actions, and police the expression of thoughts, of the people whom they ostensibly serve. However, the complicity of almost every major media organ-both in print and on television-in the whitewashing of Islam’s intolerance of dissent-among other less than admirable traits-has as much to do with affinity for the ends-if not always the means-of its followers, as it does any craven abdication of responsibility linked to fear. We’ll examine the responsibility of the press for the current state of affairs in Part II of our coverage.

Later today I’ll be enjoying one of New York City’s best musical traditions. That’s right, this weekend marks the three day celebration known as the Great Irish Fair of New York, which is held every year at this time in Coney Island. If you happen to see me, say “hi.” Until then, enjoy a tribute to this great nation by one of my favorite Irish folk bands, The Wolfetones:

P.S. For those of you who haven’t already checked out my friend’s spectacular coverage of the 9/11 AFDI/SIOA rally, I highly recommend doing so.

Some of you might be wondering why I haven’t yet addressed the horrific Utoya shootings and bombings targeting Regjeringskvartalet which occurred this weekend. The simple answer is that I don’t think there’s much of substance that I can add to the discussion, other than deploring the unspeakable actions of the mass murderer and expressing my deepest condolences to the people of Norway, especially the loved ones of the over seventy young men and women who lost their lives on the island located on the picturesque lake seen in the photograph above.

On a deeper level, I feel that one of the chief assets of this website is its ability to move beyond a reactive, evanescent analysis of our societal problems. The fact that American Rattlesnake is not a prisoner of the moment, and does not attempt to serve as a running commentary-or blog, if you prefer-upon every single event, no matter how momentous, is one of the distinctive features of this website.

However, I would like to add a personal note about the febrile media campaign that has begun to take shape in the wake of this horrific tragedy. The attempt to ascribe blame for this atrocity to individuals other than the mad man who initiated it is bad enough, but the metanarrative publications like the New York Times are attempting to weave in order to impugn the philosophical beliefs  and integrity of their perceived enemies is absolutely galling. As someone who’s known Pamela Geller for years and considers her a dear friend, and who has met Robert Spencer on several occasions, I feel compelled to address the libelous allegations that are being leveled against them by their inquisitors in the mainstream media.

Although I believe it perfectly fair and even desirable to inquire into the motives of the killer, and to examine what-if anything-led him to take such a craven, contemptible course, I don’t believe that the concerted effort to demonize Pamela and Robert is a sincere attempt on the part of the drive-by media to uncover the “root” causes of the senseless Utoya slaughter. Rather, it is simply the latest installment in a seemingly endless campaign to delegitimize anyone and everyone who holds heterodox opinions regarding a host of issues, including multiculturalism, immigration, and the role of Islam in contemporary Western society. Lest you think that this fusillade of invective is restricted to conservative anti-Islamists, I refer you to the hatchet job undertaken by Nicholas Kristof in an attempt to bury liberal feminist, Islamic apostate, and international crusader for women’s rights Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

The attacks on Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer are not any more truthful than the assault against her. What’s more, they only serve to overshadow and obscure the horror that has unfolded in Norway, which has permanently scarred hundreds of innocent individuals who will have wounds in their hearts and souls that will never be repaired by time. The fact that their trauma and pain is being press-ganged to serve the noisome, petty agenda of the dominant media organs in this country and in Europe is something that I find absolutely abhorrent. I have faith that the reputations of both Pamela and Robert will remain intact, despite the repeated attempts to tarnish them by tying their followers to the actions of someone wholly divorced from reality. Unfortunately, the time spent vilifying them, which could have been spent commemorating the lives of the individuals who were cut down in this monstrous massacre, can never be replaced.

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of attending one of the first New York City screenings of The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks. Produced and directed by Pamela Geller, with the assistance of her friend and colleague, scholar Robert Spencer, the documentary attempts to explore the at times dubious motivations behind Cordoba House’s financiers and spokespeople, including Imam Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan.

As you can see from the pictures below, the film attracted a capacity crowd, one that was very animated in its opposition to the concept of locating what many view as a triumphal mosque within walking distance of the site where thousands of Americans were murdered on September 11, 2001. 

One of the highlights of the evening was the Q&A session which followed the conclusion of the film, during which family members of those who perished in the 9/11 massacres voiced their unique perspective, which has very seldom been aired by media outlets intent on supporting the aims of Sharif el-Gamal, Imam Rauf, and other Park 51 mosque benefactors. 

There was a moving testimonial from Nelly Braginskaya, whose son Alex-an employee at Reuters-was taken from her on September 11th. There were other families who had lost brothers, sons, and daughters on that horrific day who spoke passionately of their opposition to the mosque, including Sally Regenhard, whose son Christian had served with valor as a Marine Corpsman for five years before becoming a probie with the FDNY and ultimately being murdered by Al Qaeda on 9/11/01. 

Founder and Chairwoman of the Skyscraper Safety Campaign, Sally has not only traveled throughout the country in order to prevent the construction of the planned mosque at Ground Zero, she has also devoted countless hours to battling city and state authorities that continue to ignore the pleas of 9/11 families who want a fitting burial for the remains of their loved ones. To that end, she has created an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of those who can no longer speak for themselves, which you can contact by going to a website she established, Respect Human Remains at the 9/11 Memorial. 

Also present throughout the evening were Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, the two individuals who more than anyone else put together the evening, and are responsible for raising legitimate questions about the rationale behind Park 51′s creation, the motivations of its founders, and the questionable past of many of its benefactors and trustees. 

For more information about what you can do personally to get involved in their efforts, I’ve posted some photos with information about their organization Stop the Islamization of America, as well as their websites, Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch, below.